BEVERLY HILLS, CA, November 21, (THEWILL) – An assistant lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Kogi State University, Ayingba, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, was paraded on Wednesday by the State Security Service (SSS) in Abuja for allegedly recruiting for, and coordinating, a Boko Haram terror cell in Kogi State.
This came as the arraignment of a suspected Boko Haram member, Abdulmanam Abidiki, could not hold due to the absence of his defence lawyer.
The lecturer, Yunus, who is the spiritual leader of the Kogi terror cell, was alleged to be running a terror group which comprised Umar Musa, head of operations/instructor; Mustapha Yusuf (aka Habib); armourer/chief courier, Ismaila Abdulazeez, a foot soldier; and Ibrahim Isah (a.k.a one in town), who is also a foot soldier.
SSS Deputy Director, Media and Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, said the terror cell planned to launch attacks in Kogi State before they were apprehended.
SSS said until his arrest, Yunus had held several preaching sessions every last Saturday and Sunday of the month at Ethnosho Secondary School, Ojiolo, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State where he had about 80 followers.
The suspect was said to have held another session every Friday at the Kogi State University Mosque, Ayingba, where he had about 120 followers, whom he allegedly taught the virtues of Jihad and the sanctity of the Sharia law as an alternative form of governance and its entrenchment in the state and beyond.
The SSS spokesperson disclosed that the don, who is a very active member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in KSU, maintained extensive links with Boko Haram cells in Borno State where he referred some of his followers for terrorist training.
“In March 2013, he facilitated the trip of two of his adherents to Boko Haram’s Sambisa Camp in Maiduguri, Bornu State where they received training in weapon handling. They are Mustapha Yusuf and Ismaila Abdulazeez, who are now under arrest. They were able to escape and returned back to him in August 2013, following the military invasion of the camp,” she said.
Ogar said Yunus holds a Masters degree from the University of Jos and a Ph.D in Arabic and Islamic Studies from KSU, in 2012.
The suspect however denied being a Boko Haram member when questioned by journalists present at the parade , but he was countered by Yusuf, Abdulazeez and Isah who insisted that he had been teaching them about Jihad and how to exploit it to instal Sharia in Kogi State.
Yunus, who admitted knowing his accomplices, alleged that he was set up, adding that Islam which he preached, did not endorse blood-shedding.
“I don’t have any link with Boko Haram. In fact, I preached against them, that is why they have set me up. You can go to Jos and ask for my tapes, I preached against them. Islam doesn’t support blood-shedding and I don’t support it too,” he said.
One of the suspects, Isah, said he was in company with Umar and Abdulazeez on their way to Maiduguri, Bornu State for training when they were arrested at a mosque in Zuba, near Abuja.
Abdulazeez disclosed that he was indoctrinated by Yusuf in Nyanya, Abuja and he subsequently travelled to Ayingba to see Yunus who directed him to go with Isah to Maiduguri, but their trip was aborted by their arrest.
